Fat Dogs are Cute? Some Tips on Feeding your Dog

Puppyhood is the time that your puppy will be rapidly growing and learning. Therefore it is crucial that Puppy obtains all the nutrients his body needs from his food. Not all dog food is made equal so it is important for you as a pet parent to do research on the different types of dog food available on the market. Not any old dog food will do when it comes to puppies and even older dogs. Dogs needs a good balance of protein and fat in their food, if a brand of kibble contains too much fat and less protein it can lead to obesity in your dog and while it may look adorable to have a pudgy puppy obesity in dogs can lead to a slew of health issues ranging from breathing difficulties to spinal problems.

When you bring your puppy home most pet stores will recommend you feed your puppy both kibble and wet food. There are mixed debates on which type of dog food is better for your puppy but its really a case y case basis. For example as your puppy is growing he will need to intake a lot more calories and nutrients than an adult dog so to ensure that your puppy eats his food you may want to mix in some wet food into his kibble as an incentive. Wet food generally taste and smell better to dogs but this type of food is high in fat (and calories) and does not have sufficient nutrients, therefore it needs to be supplemented with kibble. I always suggest pet parents feed their adult dogs kibble only, however, to ensure that your puppy intakes enough calories and nutrients  mix his kibble with wet food until about one year old. Please be aware that this is a suggestion always consult you Veterinarian on how to properly feed your dog based on his breed, weight and age. 

You may be wondering what brand of dog food you should buy your puppy. The first thing you want to do it read the label. Within the first five ingredients listed there should be a source of protein i.e chicken, beef, venison etc. and it should be listed as just "chicken" or just "beef" anything that has animal-by-products within the first ten ingredients is generally not a good choice. A "by-product" is things deemed unfit for human consumption so we're talking about chicken beaks, feet, and intestines instead of a good protein filled piece of chicken breast. Any food that lists any animal by-product within the first five ingredients you should steer clear of.

When deciding between wet food or kibble consider the benefits and downfalls of each. For example kibble promotes dental hygiene and a good brand has more protein and nutrients than wet food. It is also more cost effective since getting a wet food with the same amount of protein can be highly expensive. Wet food on the other hand is a good choice for dogs who have trouble eating. It's easier for them to chew and usually any dog will gobble it down.

I personally feed my dogs Nature's Variety. It's recommended by most vets and dog trainers and is slightly less expensive them lets say Blue Buffalo or Wellness.

These are some brands I suggest:

• Nature's Variety
• Blue Buffalo
• Natural Balance
• Wellness Grain Free
• Solid Gold
• Merrick

The Ups and Downs of Puppyhood

Whether it was your childhood dream or your child's dream you now have a puppy. Congratulations on the new member of your family! You'll soon discover the wonders and hardships of puppyhood. Much like a human baby,  puppies can go from being bundles of joy to a source of great stress. But that shouldn't deter you from enjoying your little munchkin's puppy days so here's the first of many tips on how to both savor and survives Puppy's first year...

Tip#1: Crate Training

So you've picked out the ideal puppy for you. The perfect combination of playfulness, size, color or cuteness has landed a place in your home. You may be wondering.... What now? For starters let's begin by accepting the responsibility that comes with Puppy. Kiss a full eight hours of sleep good bye! And wave hello to a strict training schedule. My advice is to start Puppy off with crate training.

What is crate training? It's basically house breaking Puppy and teaching him/her the rules of the castle. You'll need a crate to act as a "den" for Puppy and either a playpen or a small area you can close off to be Puppy's restricted roaming area. You do not want to give Puppy access to your home right away! Being able to roam freely should be a privilege only granted when Puppy can be trusted not to have accidents. For that reason you need to set up an enclosed space that Puppy is allowed to roam. By nature, dogs desire a "den" or in your case a safe space in your home he/she can retreat to and the crate provides such a place. The combination of crate and playpen is ideal because it provides a den for Puppy and gives him space to eliminate and roam outside of his den. 

Step #1: Introduce Puppy to his/her crate

When you are introducing Puppy to his/her crate is important to a associate positive feelings with the crate. Start off by placing Puppy near the crate and giving a treat. it is normal for Puppy to feel uneasy near the crate at first because he was most likely kept in his cage at the pet store for most of the day, this is why you need to reassure him with treats and creative positive emotions towards the crate. Begin to place treats near the crate and then inside the crate to entice Puppy to enter the crate. Once he goes in on his own praise him and give him another treat. If Puppy will absolutely won't enter the crate willingly place him inside gently then praise and give him a treat. Allow puppy to exit the crate willingly but now only give him a treat when he/she is inside the crate. You can do this by showing Puppy the treat and making him/her follow your hand inside the crate. You can also let Puppy see you placing a treat inside so he/she must enter to get the treat. Continue to praise and reward Puppy until he/she enters and exits the crate willingly. Do not close the crate at this time it will create a negative emotion in Puppy and he will associate the crate with confinement. You might not even close the crate for the next few days.

Once Puppy enters and exits easily place Puppy's bed and toys inside and place the crate and Puppy in the playpen or closed off area. If you do chose to go with the closed off area make sure it is very small. It should fit the crate and give Puppy a little room to move around. Line the playpen with puppy pad to begin with. As Puppy's training progressing you will remove one puppy pad at a time to make his/her eliminating area smaller and improve Puppy's aim.

Step#2: Crating good habits

When you cannot watch Puppy, Puppy should be in his playpen to avoid any accidents. Accidents will happen and that's absolutely okay but they can be avoided by supervising Puppy during his/her out of crate time. If Puppy begins to squat or turn in circle it might be a sign that he/she is going to eliminate, quickly pick up Puppy even if he/she is in the middle of eliminating and place them on the puppy pad. If Puppy finishes his/her business on the puppy pad praise and reward Puppy. As time progresses you will learn your puppies eliminating signals. When you let Puppy out of the playpen immediately guide him to the puppypad and hold him/he there with a leash until he/she eliminates. This may take up to 30 mins but it will give Puppy a routine. Make sure Puppy both pees and poops. Once Puppy is done he is allowed some freedom around the house with supervision.

It is also important to know how often Puppy will eliminate. You calculate how often a puppy must go potty by adding one hour plus the amount of months Puppy is. For example if Puppy is two months, Puppy can only hold his/her bladder for three hours. If Puppy is three months, Puppy can only hold his/her bladder for four hours etc. That mean if your puppy is two months you must make sure after three hours of his last potty break Puppy is on his puppy pad to avid accidents. For that same reason having Puppy's crate inside a playpen will allow him to exit his crate to eliminate during the day when you are gone and during the night when you are asleep. Confining Puppy to his/her crate for long periods of time will almost always lead to an accident. Puppy must not eliminate in his/her crate. This will encourage him to eliminate in area he is not allowed to in your home.

Step# 3: Dealing with Accidents

Accidents will happen. Do not reprimand Puppy for eliminating outside his puppy pad in anyway. Do not yell or stick Puppy's face in the mess. This will only make him fear you and hide his potty habits from you. You need Puppy to trust you so that you are present to stop any accidents. If you yell at Puppy or punish him/ her, Puppy will hold his bladder until you are gone which can cause more frequent accidents and even digestive infections. On that note try never to overreact when Puppy is doing something you do not like for example chewing on wires, having accidents, picking things off the floor, puppies like human babies are very curious about their surrounds and need to be taught right from wrong. By giving Puppy negative attention when he/she is doing something wrong Puppy is learning that if he chews on wires or pees away from the puppy pad will will give him/her attention. To a puppy any form of attention is desirable even negative attention. If puppy is doing something you don't want him to take simply take the object away or put him/her back in the playpen, do not fuss over it.

Last words of advice

Puppy will whine and cry and bark and howl in his crate. Do not remove Puppy from the crate or playpen to quite him/her. This will signal to Puppy that if he makes enough noise you will let him out. Only let Puppy out when they have quieted down.

That's all for now. Good luck and enjoy puppyhood!